A Story of Reshaping History
Written by Chrysa Smith | Photography by Aliza Baran
Historic roots run deep in Delafield, Wisconsin. Sitting at the crossroads of Kettle Moraine State Forest and the Ice Age Trail, Lake Nagawicka and the land’s rolling hills make Delafield an idyllic place to live.
The town was named after an early settler, Charles Delafield in the 1800s, placing it in the midst of the Civil War and giving it religious and military foundations. The downtown area has undergone a colonial renaissance, with a plethora of locally owned shops and restaurants.
For homeowners, Kristin and Jay, this is where they call home. Kristin and Jay are not newbies to the area. “We actually had a home a few minutes away that we bought in 2010. We wanted a place with no wi-fi, no tv—a place to completely unplug and spend time with friends and family,” Kristin says. She mentioned that they and their now teenage son
had ten good years there, but they stumbled upona treasure on Lake Nagawicka—and that was a wrap, closing on their new house in Delafield in June of 2022.
Currently a second residence, the summer home is not traditionally what comes to mind when you think of a cottage. In keeping with the architectural style of the area, the 1925 house was built in a colonial style. “We had to laugh that it was a house
with green shutters on Evergreen Lane,” she said, “It was amazing.” And with a permanent residence within miles, traveling between the homes is quick and easy.
Parts historic, parts redone, the home will eventually become their permanent residence.
While a great place to spend the summer, the house is currently a three-season home and needs to be winterized before the family can move in full-time.
Lake Nagawicka is 981 acres and the depths are full of walleye, pike and bass. Even though the lake is busy on beautiful days, there is enough room to spread out and have privacy for your day’s adventures. For now, Kristin and Jay’s future primary residence
is all about inspiration. There is no insulation or heating that would suffice for a full-time resident in Wisconsin’s winter climate. In fact, the original blueprints were found inside, indicating that it was built to be a summer cottage, meaning there is some work to be done.
